angelapm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
lazygal's review against another edition
3.0
I read this for my book group and I'm glad I did, but there was a lot that kind of bothered me. For example, there's a hinted immigration from some other place that doesn't really get discussed except in casual mentions of the "old tongue" (kinda like the Tearling books). And there's also a place that people can escape to, away from all this (Handmaid's Tale or When She Woke, anyone?). The story about who the poachers really are is a little muddled, and that should have been given a better explanation after everything Tierney experiences. The links to Lord of the Flies (albeit with a poisoned well) are also clear, as is the idea of the initiation rite that appears in so many cultures. The survival parts, the nascent rebellion and the language of the flowers were something like a balance to all that, but it felt at times as that was filler for the episodes of Very Mean Girls.
denisejohanna90's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
yeetney's review against another edition
5.0
Instantly gripped me in the beginning. Almost knocked it down to 4/5 stars cuz of the romance aspect in the middle cuz it felt too cliché and lacked proper build-up, but towards the end of the book, it was able to redeem itself. Definitely exceeded my expectations
laceygage's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 ⭐️, rounded up. I expected this book to be totally dumb; I ended up loving it. It is so much more than the blurb about it. It has a deeper meaning, and I loved all the small connections the author created throughout the story. I got mad chills when I reached the ending. It is a beautiful and heartbreaking novel.
sagansbaby's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I DEMAND THE SEQUEL
pryngols's review against another edition
3.0
I don’t normally wait for days until I write a NetGalley review. But this is a classic case of “I feel like I read a different book than everyone else.” The beginning of the book felt clumsy to me in terms of character and world building. Then there were a few points after that where I was finally beginning to get engaged, however I would get quite bored again. I think it had a lot to do with the writing style, though I couldn’t quite define it. It has an overly ominous tone that would be either too obvious or repetitive.
I don’t have problems with outrageous plots, as long as the author convinces me. But I just can’t get into this mysoginistic world where women are controlled by men with the belief that they have magic, or some evil force that the women would then willingly have removed by going away to try and survive on their own in the wild where they would face poachers that are out to kill them and sell their body parts in bottles. (Crazy, right??) Then we are given so-called twists in this set up, where we learn that the bad guys are actually the good guys and the good guys are actually the bad guys but none are really very surprising or satisfying. The fictional community is built up so small and the world building so flimsy that the reader can already see through it all.
I think it could have been a metaphor of how religion and false beliefs could affect the brain functions of a society, and it could also be a metaphor of the struggles of people with varying self-identity (different gender/sexual orientation, atheism) and I am so up for that, it just wasn’t executed well.
I did like the unexpectedly morbid elements. It really helped build the ambience of danger and the survival challenge. It doesn’t hold back in the violence and shock factor. But, I didn’t like how it got me excited for the promise of feminism and sisterhood but ultimately it’s still about finding love and the main character finding a mate of the opposite sex. I had a really hard time connecting with the main character, because as soon as she convinces me of one set of principles she goes and changes her mind. There were also too much stuff happening towards the ending. It felt like the last few MAJOR developments could have been a whole sequel in itself.
I am not discouraging anyone to read this. I do hope you enjoy this much more than I did, and based on the other reviews here it is clear I have the unpopular opinion. It was a mistake for me to pick up something like this at this point. I think I am now looking for more subtlety in this kind of theme in novels. I already got burned by The Vox, so I should have learned my lesson. Perhaps I should stop trying to find another The Handmaid’s Tale. It’s just never the same and I always set myself up for disappointment.
Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t have problems with outrageous plots, as long as the author convinces me. But I just can’t get into this mysoginistic world where women are controlled by men with the belief that they have magic, or some evil force that the women would then willingly have removed by going away to try and survive on their own in the wild where they would face poachers that are out to kill them and sell their body parts in bottles. (Crazy, right??) Then we are given so-called twists in this set up, where we learn that the bad guys are actually the good guys and the good guys are actually the bad guys but none are really very surprising or satisfying. The fictional community is built up so small and the world building so flimsy that the reader can already see through it all.
I think it could have been a metaphor of how religion and false beliefs could affect the brain functions of a society, and it could also be a metaphor of the struggles of people with varying self-identity (different gender/sexual orientation, atheism) and I am so up for that, it just wasn’t executed well.
I did like the unexpectedly morbid elements. It really helped build the ambience of danger and the survival challenge. It doesn’t hold back in the violence and shock factor. But, I didn’t like how it got me excited for the promise of feminism and sisterhood but ultimately it’s still about finding love and the main character finding a mate of the opposite sex. I had a really hard time connecting with the main character, because as soon as she convinces me of one set of principles she goes and changes her mind. There were also too much stuff happening towards the ending. It felt like the last few MAJOR developments could have been a whole sequel in itself.
I am not discouraging anyone to read this. I do hope you enjoy this much more than I did, and based on the other reviews here it is clear I have the unpopular opinion. It was a mistake for me to pick up something like this at this point. I think I am now looking for more subtlety in this kind of theme in novels. I already got burned by The Vox, so I should have learned my lesson. Perhaps I should stop trying to find another The Handmaid’s Tale. It’s just never the same and I always set myself up for disappointment.
Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
samborawski13's review against another edition
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
gingerjennaeve's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0